Chris Christie Says Vivek Ramaswamy Is Like a ‘Drunk Driver on the Debate Stage’

GOP presidential hopeful and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday took aim at Republican primary opponent Vivek Ramaswamy during an appearance on CNN, saying Ramaswamy is like a "drunk driver on the debate stage."

CNN This Morning's Poppy Harlow and Phil Mattingly questioned Christie about his combativeness with Ramaswamy during the fourth GOP debate on Wednesday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

"Governor, I know how you feel about somebody on the debate stage based on kind of the intensity of your response. It's one of your tells. It's not a bad one, by the way, the intensity of your responses to Vivek Ramaswamy are at another level. Why?" Mattingly asked Christie.

Christie responded: "Because he's like a drunk driver on the debate stage. And he doesn't belong there."

The former governor and Ramaswamy butted heads on the debate stage Wednesday as Christie defended fellow candidate Nikki Haley, a former U.N. Ambassador, against what he called sexist attacks from Ramaswamy. During the debate he called Ramaswamy "the most obnoxious blowhard in America" and on This Morning, Christie called Ramaswamy a "misogynist."

However, Christie clarified post-debate on CNN that he doesn't think Haley should be the Republican nominee for president and she, along with Ramaswamy, are just trying to get voters for former President Donald Trump on their side.

"Voters can agree or disagree with the position I take. That's absolutely fair. But he is like evading every question up there because he's afraid of offending. And in very much the same way, Nikki [Haley] won't offend on Donald Trump either," Christie said. "It seems like both of them are worth putting up for the 2028 primary and trying to get Trump voters in 2028. Rather than trying to prevent the train wreck that a Trump presidency would be in 2024."